Central Michigan University Athletics
Two Chippewas Remain in Contention at NCAA Championships
3/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
NCAA Championships Central
ST. LOUIS - Central Michigan freshman Zach Horan (133 pounds) and junior Ben Bennett (184 pounds) are one win away from All-America honors.
Both Chippewas must win their first bout during Friday's evening session of competition to secure a top-eight finish and All-America accolades.
Bennett began the day as the lone Chippewa remaining in the championship bracket, but his 184-pound quarterfinal bout ended in the first period when he was pinned by the defending national champion, Quentin Wright (Penn State). Wright scored off a double-leg one minute into the match, then locked in a cradle off a restart that he worked for more than a minute before finishing the fall at the 2:35 mark.
Bennett moves into the consolation bracket, where he will face the No. 12 seed, Virginia's Jonathan Fausey, Friday night.
Horan, meanwhile, posted a pair of victories during Friday's first session to remain alive in the consolation bracket.
In his first bout, Horan used a late takedown to eliminate Lehigh's Mason Beckman. Horan led 2-0 after a first-period takedown, then allowed Beckman to tie the score with escapes in the first and third periods. With the clock ticking under 10 seconds in the third period, Horan shot and finished the takedown with three seconds left to advance via a 4-2 decision.
Horan returned to the mat later in the session to defeat Virginia's Matthew Nelson, 5-3. Horan scored a pair of first-period takedowns to lead 4-1 after three minutes, then held on for the two-point decision.
Horan will face the No. 11 seed, Harvard's Steven Keith, in the All-America round Friday night.
Joe Roth (125 pounds), Scott Mattingly (141 pounds) and Peter Sturgeon (heavyweight) all were eliminated when they dropped their consolation round matches Friday morning.
Entering Friday's second session, CMU is 28th among 70 teams in the team standings with 15 points.
Friday's second session begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. ESPNU and ESPN3.com will carry the semifinal bouts, and live scoring of all matches will be available on Trackwrestling.com.
Complete Central Michigan Results
125 Pounds: Joe Roth
First Round: L, dec. Camden Eppert (Purdue), 4-3
Consolation First Round: W, maj. dec. Jerome Robinson (Old Dominion), 12-3
Consolation Second Round: L, dec. No. 7 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 6-3
133 Pounds: Zach Horan
First Round: W, dec. No. 12 Bryan Ortenzio (Penn), 5-4
Second Round: L, dec. No. 5 Joe Colon (Northern Iowa), 9-2
Consolation Second Round: W, dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 4-2
Consolation Third Round: W, dec. Matthew Nelson (Virginia), 5-3
Consolation Fourth Round: No. 11 Steven Keith (Harvard)
141 Pounds: Scott Mattingly
First Round: L, dec. Michael Nevinger (Cornell), 5-0
Consolation First Round: W, pin Nathan Hoffer (Arizona State) at 4:21
Consolation Second Round: L, maj. dec. No. 12 Tyler Small (Kent State), 9-1
157 Pounds: Donnie Corby
First Round: L, dec. No. 12 Steven Monk (North Dakota State), 1-0
Consolation First Round: L, dec. Josh Demas (Ohio State), 4-1 TB1
165 Pounds: Mike Ottinger
First Round: L, dec. Coleman Gracey (Army), 3-2
Consolation First Round: L, dec. Gabriel Burak (Northern Colorado), 9-2
184 Pounds: No. 3 Ben Bennett
First Round: W, maj. dec. Erich Schmidtke (Oklahoma), 9-1
Second Round: W, maj. dec. Victor Avery (Edinboro), 9-0
Quarterfinals: L, pin No. 6 Quentin Wright (Penn State) at 2:35
Consolation Fourth Round: No. 12 Jonathan Fausey (Virginia)
285 Pounds: Peter Sturgeon
First Round: W, dec. Kyle Frey (Drexel), 5-4 TB1
Second Round: L, dec. No. 2 Anthony Nelson (Minnesota), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: L, maj. dec. No. 12 Matthew Gibson (Iowa State), 8-0
ST. LOUIS - Central Michigan freshman Zach Horan (133 pounds) and junior Ben Bennett (184 pounds) are one win away from All-America honors.
Both Chippewas must win their first bout during Friday's evening session of competition to secure a top-eight finish and All-America accolades.
Bennett began the day as the lone Chippewa remaining in the championship bracket, but his 184-pound quarterfinal bout ended in the first period when he was pinned by the defending national champion, Quentin Wright (Penn State). Wright scored off a double-leg one minute into the match, then locked in a cradle off a restart that he worked for more than a minute before finishing the fall at the 2:35 mark.
Bennett moves into the consolation bracket, where he will face the No. 12 seed, Virginia's Jonathan Fausey, Friday night.
Horan, meanwhile, posted a pair of victories during Friday's first session to remain alive in the consolation bracket.
In his first bout, Horan used a late takedown to eliminate Lehigh's Mason Beckman. Horan led 2-0 after a first-period takedown, then allowed Beckman to tie the score with escapes in the first and third periods. With the clock ticking under 10 seconds in the third period, Horan shot and finished the takedown with three seconds left to advance via a 4-2 decision.
Horan returned to the mat later in the session to defeat Virginia's Matthew Nelson, 5-3. Horan scored a pair of first-period takedowns to lead 4-1 after three minutes, then held on for the two-point decision.
Horan will face the No. 11 seed, Harvard's Steven Keith, in the All-America round Friday night.
Joe Roth (125 pounds), Scott Mattingly (141 pounds) and Peter Sturgeon (heavyweight) all were eliminated when they dropped their consolation round matches Friday morning.
Entering Friday's second session, CMU is 28th among 70 teams in the team standings with 15 points.
Friday's second session begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. ESPNU and ESPN3.com will carry the semifinal bouts, and live scoring of all matches will be available on Trackwrestling.com.
Complete Central Michigan Results
125 Pounds: Joe Roth
First Round: L, dec. Camden Eppert (Purdue), 4-3
Consolation First Round: W, maj. dec. Jerome Robinson (Old Dominion), 12-3
Consolation Second Round: L, dec. No. 7 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 6-3
133 Pounds: Zach Horan
First Round: W, dec. No. 12 Bryan Ortenzio (Penn), 5-4
Second Round: L, dec. No. 5 Joe Colon (Northern Iowa), 9-2
Consolation Second Round: W, dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 4-2
Consolation Third Round: W, dec. Matthew Nelson (Virginia), 5-3
Consolation Fourth Round: No. 11 Steven Keith (Harvard)
141 Pounds: Scott Mattingly
First Round: L, dec. Michael Nevinger (Cornell), 5-0
Consolation First Round: W, pin Nathan Hoffer (Arizona State) at 4:21
Consolation Second Round: L, maj. dec. No. 12 Tyler Small (Kent State), 9-1
157 Pounds: Donnie Corby
First Round: L, dec. No. 12 Steven Monk (North Dakota State), 1-0
Consolation First Round: L, dec. Josh Demas (Ohio State), 4-1 TB1
165 Pounds: Mike Ottinger
First Round: L, dec. Coleman Gracey (Army), 3-2
Consolation First Round: L, dec. Gabriel Burak (Northern Colorado), 9-2
184 Pounds: No. 3 Ben Bennett
First Round: W, maj. dec. Erich Schmidtke (Oklahoma), 9-1
Second Round: W, maj. dec. Victor Avery (Edinboro), 9-0
Quarterfinals: L, pin No. 6 Quentin Wright (Penn State) at 2:35
Consolation Fourth Round: No. 12 Jonathan Fausey (Virginia)
285 Pounds: Peter Sturgeon
First Round: W, dec. Kyle Frey (Drexel), 5-4 TB1
Second Round: L, dec. No. 2 Anthony Nelson (Minnesota), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: L, maj. dec. No. 12 Matthew Gibson (Iowa State), 8-0
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